Man stable after being nearly buried alive and stuck 4 hours in cesspool
Dec. 9, 2009
Long Island, New York
A worker in an exclusive residential neighborhood on Long Island, New York, was trapped for four hours, up to his chest in sand and soil in a cesspool belonging to the owners of one of the local mansions, which once were the homes of the rich and famous in an area popularly known as the Gold Coast.
The worker, who is in stable condition in a local hospital, was rescued by dozens of rescue team members and the use of donated heavy equipment. The main thing holding up progress was the stench coming from the cesspool, which had been in use for at least 3 decades. That's a lot of "stuff" accumulated over a long time period. Many rescue workers became nauseated by the odor, while others wore special face masks to avoid the putrid stench.
Ironically, the trapped man was an undocumented worker who does not speak English. None of the mansion's owners or neighbors came out to find out what was going on in their meticulously manicured back yards. Servants were sent out now and again to monitor progress on the cesspool and to find out how long the work would be delayed. Another of the owners contacted the family insurance agent to find out if the owners would have any possible liability for the worker's injuries. Assured that the man's injuries would be covered by his employer's workers compensation policy, the family relaxed in the den for a spirited game of scrabble and dry martinis for the adults.
On arrival at the hospital the worker had to be deodorized before he could be treated. Two of the attending doctors and one nurse refused to treat the injured man until he could be bathed and cleaned up, citing union rules.
So it goes.
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